Update on Treatment Options for Advanced Bile Duct Tumours: Radioembolisation for Advanced Cholangiocarcinoma

Abstract

Cholangiocarcinoma is a rare form of gastrointestinal cancer with a poor prognosis. Patients often present with biliary obstruction or non-specific abdominal pain, and a high proportion of patients have advanced disease at initial diagnosis. The goal of this review is to discuss treatment options for patients with advanced bile duct tumours focusing on radioembolisation (RE) and its impact on overall survival. RE provides a therapeutic option for patients with unresectable cholangiocarcinoma. However, although systemic chemotherapy has demonstrated a survival benefit in randomised controlled trials, there is limited supporting evidence for the use of RE in this setting. Studies are mostly limited to single-centre, small cohorts with variable outcome measures. Additionally, patients included in these studies received a variety of previous therapies including chemotherapy, surgery or alternative intra-arterial therapy; therefore, a true assessment of overall survival benefit is difficult.